Organosilsesquioxanes have been described e.g. in a number of papers and patents (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,492).
They can, for example, be used as nano-fillers, nano-composite materials, photoresist material, dendrimers and co-monomers in hybrid materials (M. Fujiwara et al. Advanced Functional Mater. 13, 371 (2003)).
A number of silsesquioxane precursors and various functionalized derivatives are commercially available (Aldrich). The applied hydrosilylation reaction has been described for silsesquioxanes with simple molecules, which do not carry highly functionalized groups and which are used in excess. However, this technology seems to be sensitive to the applied chemicals and is therefore not generally applicable to all alkylene derivatives.
Spherical silica-clusters based on silsesquioxanes are highly thermostable and are claimed to be useful as nano-fillers to improve e.g. the extension modulus of organic polymers or the scratch resistance of coatings (US 2005/203227). U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,492 describes a way of hydrosilylation to produce derivatives of sesquisiloxanes. In other cases (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,025; A. P. Somlai et al., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 788, L9.10 (2004); G. H. Mehl et al., Appl. Organometal. Ch. 13, 261 (1999)) derivatives with mesogenic groups are described (e.g. for Liquid Crystal Displays).
WO 2005/037955 describes light emitting compositions useful for OLEDs where at least two different fluorophores are attached per silsesquioxane molecule as otherwise quenching would take place, and US 2005/090015 describes silsesquioxanes modified to be useful for chemical vapor sensing.
An aim of the present invention is to provide further uses for the class of silsesquioxanes.